13 April 2023
So we find time to take some images and load them on to our computers and then..... what? Ros took us through the process of making a photobook using illustrations from her preferred software provided by CeWe ( https://www.cewe.co.uk/).
Things to consider at the outset include identifying the purpose of the book (e.g. a record of an event, a collection, a story), who it is for (ourselves, our friends and family or is it for selling?) and what our budget is (different papers, covers, layouts etc can give wide price options). Ros had chosen a large square flatlay, sturdy paper and a library sleeve for her latest book and it was interesting to compare this with the normal classic landscape format some of us have used before. The ability to have a flatlay landscape image across the whole or part of adjacent pages was of particular interest. Members discussed the advantages and disadvantages of photobook setups offered by a number of alternative printing companies.
Pete followed with a brief overview of flash photography. Many of us have the facility to use an off-camera flash but are we really making the most of it? Pointing out the advantages such as a flash image stopping motion and overriding daylight plus a flash unit being portable, power efficient and very controllable, Pete challenged us to brush the dust off our flash units and just have a go again and not be afraid of experimentation. Whatever our preferred subject matter - portraiture, architecture, fungi etc - flash can be used simply as another light source which can also lift deep shadows. The website strobist.com is a useful site for flash information (https://strobist.blogspot.com/)
The challenge of finding an image to take in March saw most members coping with very chilly weather though a lucky few managed to escape to much warmer climes. Rose made a compromise and managed to take a 'safari' to Bristol visiting the Wild Place! (https://www.wildplace.org.uk/)
